A new beginning

May 23, 2017

In my experience, whenever you talk to someone about Paris, the line “Paris is beautiful!” ALWAYS comes up. The first day of my dialogue here immediately confirmed the accuracy of that line to me. I last visited Paris when I was 7 years old and I remember very little of it. This is why I had such a renewed and heightened appreciation of the city and its grandeur.

I was especially struck by the varied architecture styles from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. It was amazing to see old buildings and monuments that were built with the gothic style, such as Notre Dame. I think buildings with these styles are spectacular because of the tremendous detail in their design, and because they create an atmosphere of intimidation and reverence.

I find transportation in Paris quite interesting. Most people use the metro to go wherever they need to. Riding bicycles is also another major source of transportation – on the streets there are people riding bicycles everywhere! This was very interesting to see because it isn’t something that is common back home in Nigeria, where people walk, drive or use public transportation to get around.

We have all heard that the French love food, and that was extremely evident in Paris. There are cafés everywhere and there are many different restaurants with foods from all over the world. (You cannot walk for more than 2 minutes without seeing a café or restaurant). Getting something to eat is definitely no problem.

During the orientation for our program, we talked about how to get used to our surroundings quickly, how to be observant, and the importance of putting all biases and preconceived notions aside.
Getting used to your surroundings (especially in a foreign country) makes you more comfortable, because you know where certain places are and can get what you need to at different times. This is important because you do need to know where you are and where you are going.

We are required to keep a journal of our different observations and questions every day. This will ensure that we remember a good chunk of what we have experienced, and it encourages us to have informed discussions together over those observations.

Putting biases and preconceived notions aside is very useful because it enables you to experience a different culture without judgment. It is important that we realize that all cultures have unique aspects and ways of life. It is that diversity that makes the world truly beautiful and captivating.
Orientation is very useful at the start of the program because it gives you an idea of what to expect, and it sets the tone for the rest of the trip.

Paris is a beautiful city with a vibrant culture, magnificent architecture, and a great history. I look forward to spending the next few days here!

Written By

Richard Nzekwu

Hello! My name is Richard Nzekwu and I am from Nigeria. I am going into my fourth year at Northeastern, with a major in International Affairs and a minor in French. I am especially excited at the prospect of studying French culture through movie comedy. As an avid film lover, I consider this a very interesting way to study the culture, and I am confident that the experience will impact me profoundly. I also would like to practice my spoken French in order to achieve significant fluency by the end of the program. My goals for studying abroad are to learn and appreciate the differences between my culture and others, and to gain autonomy and confidence in a different culture. One fun fact about myself is that although I am an International Affairs major (and HATE math), my dream job is to work for NASA and become an astronaut. I am extremely interested in traveling, nature, trying new foods, taking pictures, and meeting people from different backgrounds and nationalities! I hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoyed making it!